Stories of Old St Canices

Stories of Old St Canices – People and Place

November 26, 2024

Stories from Old St Canice’s: People & Place

Locals and experts come together to share what St Canices means to them.

In this episode, a variety of voices, including locals and experts who worked on the conservation of the site, discuss what St Canices means to them.

Welcome to Old St Canice’s Church and Graveyard in Finglas, Dublin. Today St Canice’s, locally referred to as the abbey, offers a leafy, tranquil space at the historic heart of Finglas village. It was first established as a monastery in the 6th century by St Canice, who is perhaps better known as the founder of Kilkenny, the site today consists of a ruined stone church and an unusual High Cross set in a graveyard sheltered from the outside world by trees.

This sheltered spot has a whole host of stories to tell. This special limited podcast series will explore these stories in depth. Archaeologist Neil Jackman, will be joined by leading experts, specialists and the local community who discuss the site and its importance, and the challenges to preserve this significant local landmark for future generations.

In this fourth episode, we meet people from the area and experts who have worked on the site’s conservation. We also meet local schoolchildren who are visiting the site to learn more about it.

In the early 1840s, it was decided to build a new church in Finglas as St Canice’s was falling into disrepair. New St Canice’s was opened in 1842 and parishioner Alan Boyle tells us about the transition from Old St Canice’s to New St Canice’s and the church in Finglas today.
Dublin City Council Landscape Architect Christina Todd has project-managed the conservation at Old St Canice’s, and she discusses the importance of caring for these types of sites.
Conservation architect Fergal McNamara led the conservation works on site and he describes the conservation works that took place and discusses why conservation rather than restoration is more appropriate for a site like St Canice’s.
Dublin City Council Tree Officer Ludovic Beaumont discusses the importance of the biodiversity of the site and the range of tree species that can be found here.
Local Finglas resident Larry Yourell discusses his connection to the site and its importance locally.
Another Finglas resident, Joe Lynch discusses his family’s close connection to the site over many decades.
Dublin City Council Historian in Residence for Children Dervilia Roche, along with schoolchildren from St Canice’s Girls National School and Sacred Heart Boys National School and teacher Jim Ryan, talks about the importance of finding out more about sites like these and the benefits of researching and discovering more about the past for children.

STORIES FROM OLD ST CANICE’S PODCAST

Title: Part 4: People & Place

Duration: 1 hour

Summary:

In this episode, experts and locals discuss the site, how it has changed over the years, and what it means to Finglas.

Stories of Old St Canices Show Notes

You can find out more information about St Canice’s and its history on our interactive Story Map here.

This podcast was created by Abarta Heritage on behalf of Dublin City Council, and funded by Community Monuments Fund 2024 from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.